US To Arm Syrian Rebels While American Children Starve

Having determined that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons against its citizens, the White House announced that the United States will provide military assistance to the Syrian rebels.  The statement did not include specific details as to the extent of US involvement.  Unconfirmed reports run the gamut from small arms and munitions to anti-tank and anti-aircraft weaponry to the establishment of a no fly zone using US military aircraft.

To what end?

What does Syria look like if the US backed rebels are successful?  Iraq?  Libya?

We have seen this movie before…and it doesn’t end well.

Since the end of WWII the United States has declared itself the world’s policeman, interjecting its’ values, morals and self interests into the world’s affairs.  Korea, Vietnam, Iraq I, Iraq II, Afghanistan all fought with inconclusive and unsatisfactory results.

The Syrian conflict is a secular, civil war with both sides behaving badly.  The Assad regime is backed by Russia, Hezbollah and Iran…the rebels by al Qaeda or al Qaeda splinter groups.  There are no good guys here.

Proponents of American military intervention argue that if we fail to intervene our enemies will step into the void.  Look how well that worked out in Iraq.

Setting aside international politics…what about the cost?

The sequestration cuts are ravaging the social safety net depended upon by millions of Americans.  Cuts in food stamps, meals on wheels, shelters for battered women, planned parenthood and No Child Left Behind are just a few of the programs negatively impacted by this manufactured crisis.

The implementation of a “No Fly zone” over Syrian airspace will cost American taxpayers $50 million…PER DAY.

16.1 million children in this country live in what are referred to as “food insecure households.”  That means that they don’t know when they will get their next meal.  That’s 22% of the kids living in the self proclaimed “greatest country on earth.”

If we cannot afford to feed our own children how can we afford a $50M no fly zone over Syria?

Some might say that is a false choice.

They would be wrong.